Extra Medium Pony

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Biography

Extra Medium Pony are a group of friends from the Cleveland, Ohio area. What initially appears to be Indie Rock upon closer investigation reveals much more. Is it Folk, LO-FI, MID-FI; does it matter? Shakespeare would be rolling his one good eye. We’ve evolved considerably over the years. Beginning as a solo project, we’ve gradually added members over the years to become the quintet we are now. Pretty cool, right? The band is persevering through a tough two-year stretch which, for frontman Rick Spitalsky, has been a real nightmare.

Spitalsky has what is called phobic anxiety. He can feel trapped almost anywhere at any time, sometimes for no reason at all. This was at its worst while we were recording the new album, Traffic. You can hear the nervousness captured in the guitar, you can feel the pulse race in the drums, you can feel weakness in the vocals and a sense of being lost in the organ. At times it’s difficult for him to leave the house, which renders playing live locally an immense struggle, and touring feel a lifetime away. He’s been receiving help and has made improvements to where some sense of normal seems possible. Spitalsky says, “Having this group of friends who not only believe in my songwriting, but me as a person has made this darkness a little easier to shoulder. The new album, named after the largest source of my phobia, is entitled “Traffic”. It’s due to be released on April 16th; that was my Grandmother’s birthday. I miss her.”

Rick Spitalsky wrote all the songs, lyrics, played guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, melodica, lap steel, chord organ, recorded and mixed this record in our basement. Juan Granda played drums, David McHenry played bass, Nick Tolar played guitar and gathered the friends in the first place. Aric Hines played keyboard, Liz Kelly contributed vocals, Clayton Heur played violin, Mike Allen played cello, James Grossenheider played synthesizer.

Press Releases

“nervy indie rock… It’s hard not to hear echoes of Weezer.”– American Songwriter“Extra Medium Pony has a knack for over-analyzing pretty much everything, including the fact that nothing really matters… recalls Built to Spill, Pavement, The Rentals, and any number of other lovable losers”– Consequence of Sound“If the songs here were just a little more refined, they’d probably have wider appeal. But some asshole critic probably said the same thing about Pavement and Sebadoh, too.”– Cleveland Scene

Dirty indie rock band, Extra Medium Pony, announce their third record, Traffic, due out September 14, 2020. Their first single, “Something Beautiful” is out now, along with a video that debuted on American Songwriter, who call it a “a nervy indie rock number built around frontman Rick Spitalsky’s stinging poetry and pop-punk guitar hooks,” adding, “It’s hard not to hear echoes of Weezer in the song’s most thrashing moments.”

On the single, Spitalsky says the song is about “searching every fiber and molecule for something true can really show the sadness and isolation between each heartbeat. The lyrics are extremely descriptive, while thunderstorms of drums ride on cellos and violins, and the rest of the band peels guttural, distorted guitars like sunburnt skin.” American Songwriter says, “The song reaches a crescendo as Spitalsky repeats the refrain “I see a difference” over and over again, stretching out every word over increasingly anxious string and drum parts.”

Describing the music video, American Songwriter says, “The video cuts between shots of the band performing in a practice space, cartoon clips, and extreme close-ups of Spitalsky’s facial features.” Spitalsky says, “I feel like my life is becoming a cartoon… I seem to only identify with cartoon humor–maybe as a safety mechanism to protect me from the harshness and cruel reality that is our current political state.”

This release is the band’s first since 2016, when they shared Meaninglessness with the world. Consequence of Sound, who premiered the previous LP, pin-pointed the essence of the band’s phobic-anxieties that become something beautiful, saying, “Being a depressed introvert can give you a pretty bleak outlook on life, but it also can galvanize some truly honest art. In fact, it’s exactly the sort of environment in which Cleveland-based Rick Spitalsky seems to thrive.”

The new single proves the new record continues down the path cleared by the previous record. American Songwriter says, “With “Something Beautiful,” Spitalsky has harnessed the feelings that usually confine him–nervousness; panic; a sense of doom–to craft something raw and affecting.” Open about his struggles with anxiety and claustrophobia, Spitalsky spoke to American Songwriter about the difficulties he encountered while making the album. They report, “Spitalsky–who has a condition called phobic anxiety–found it especially difficult to leave his house while working on Traffic. He recorded and produced the record in his basement, ultimately naming it after his largest source of his anxiety.”
With more singles and videos on the way, look out for more from Extra Medium Pony between now and the release on September 14.